A body language specialist has weighed in on President Trump’s much-discussed dance routine, after Melania reportedly branded it “unpresidential”.
Over the past several years — and especially throughout the 2024 campaign trail — Trump has repeatedly broken out the same familiar moves at events.
The routine has become instantly recognisable, sitting alongside his tendency to stray from prepared remarks and deliver lines that quickly spread online.
Now, experts are offering their take on what the dance communicates, as it typically features stiff, bent arms and clenched fists while the Village People’s “YMCA” plays.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, expert Patti Wood said:
“One of the reasons it is so interesting to observe is that we know exactly what he’s going to do, and yet we look at it every time [and try] to understand.”
Wood added:
“If we think about it a certain way, he dances like he talks. It’s super repetitive, it’s really simple. I mean, it’s not complicated at all.”
Melania has also been linked to criticism of the move, with Trump himself saying she wasn’t a fan of him doing it in public.
“My wife hates when I do this,” Trump said at a rally, as he added: “She’s a very classy person, right? She said, ‘It’s so unpresidential’, I said, ‘But I did become president’.”
Melania reportedly added:
“Could you imagine Franklin D. Roosevelt dancing?”
Trump said he replied:
“I said there’s a long history that perhaps she doesn’t know, because he was an elegant fellow, even as a Democrat.”
Wood also pointed to the physicality of the dance itself, arguing that a closed hand can influence how an audience experiences what they’re seeing.
She said that when someone forms a fist, it “creates tension” in our nervous system.
Clinical psychologist Denise Dudley also shared her interpretation of the gestures.
“Those balled-up fists … the gestures are super dominance-oriented, they’re aggressive.”
However, the experts suggested it isn’t only about projecting force — it can also operate as a kind of performance cue for supporters in the room.
Dudley said:
“That crowd signaling is a way that a leader can get people to start doing what it is they’re doing.
“All of his MAGA people, his constituents, they can all do that same thing”
Another element that stands out is the minimal footwork. While most people naturally shift side-to-side or step through a rhythm when they dance, Trump’s lower body often stays planted.
Wood added that people who try to replicate the routine may notice how controlled and tense it feels — a noticeable contrast to the looseness and release that many associate with dancing.